For some reason, I always want to see the books-as-movies.
I wanted to see Memiors of a Geisha, The Kite Runner, The Devil Wears Prada, The Da Vinci Code, Charlotte's Web and The Nanny Diaries on the big screen. I looked forward to it! Some of my favorite reads brought to life! Hooray!
As is usually the case with a great book though, so much nuance and storyline must be sacrificed to meet the commercial requirements of a successful motion picture. As a general rule, the movie is never as good as the book. I'm always disappointed.
It was with some trepidation that added Atonement to my Netflix queue. You see, back in 2002 when this book was making the rounds, I tried to read it. In fact, I tried to read it about 5 times and I could not get past the first thirty pages. It was soooooooo godawful boring.
But everyone else Loved! This! Book! They could not understand why I hated it, why it bored me to tears and how I could not read past the first few pages. Despite its inexplicable popularity, Atonement just wasn't for me. I rejected it several times over many months.
So, it would stand to reason that a book I thought was crappy would make for a crappy movie. Right?
Wrong! Atonement is just the sort of book that, with a dusting of Hollywood magic and a talented screenwriter, can be turned into a rather good movie. The movie distracted me with a pretty green dress and some interesting scenery and some dreamy accents. Where the book failed to entertain through the dull parts of the story, the movie succeeded. Hollywood magic never looked so good.
It actually turned into an interesting story too. Even Chris kind of liked it and pronounced it "interesting." (This is a very high movie compliment for him.)
Next up is another book-as-movie: The Other Boleyn Girl. I didn't read this book, but based on my love of the British monarchy, big puffy dresses and ridiculous hats I am sure I'll adore it no matter the plot.
